CHEAP METHOD OF PRESERVING FRUIT. Q\ 



cessful experiments of doing it without sugar, and at the 

 same time with a certainty of their retaining all those agree- 

 able flavours which they naturally possess; and it is highly 

 probable, that they will keep perfectly good for two or three 

 years, or even a longer period, in any hot climate, by which 

 it appears to become a valuable store for shipping or expor- 

 tation, as I have exposed them to the action of the meridian 

 sun in an upper room, during the whole of the summer, 

 after they have been so preserved (being done in 1806). I 

 have now the pleasure of laying before the Society specimens 

 of the fruit alluded to. 



Process for preserving Fruit* 



The bottles I chiefly use for small fruit, such as goose- Process ite* 

 berries, currants, cherries, and raspberries, are selected i>cnbt:u - 

 from the widest necked of those used for wine, or porter, 

 as they are procured at a much cheaper rate than what are 

 generally called gooseberry bottles. Having got them pro- 

 perly cleaned, and the fruit ready picked, (which should not 

 be too ripe,) fill such of them as you intend doing at one 

 time, as full as they will hold, so as to admit the cork going 

 in, frequently shaking the fruit down whilst tilling. When 

 done, fit the corks to each bottle, and stick them lightly in, 

 so as to be easily taken out when the fruit is sufficiently 

 scalded, which may be done either in a copper, or large 

 kettle, or saucepati over the tire, first putting a coarse 

 cloth of any sort at the bottom to prevent the heat of the 

 tire from cracking the bottles: then fill the copper, or ket«» 

 tie, with cold water sufficiently high for the bottles to be 

 nearly up to the top in it:. put them in sideways to expel 

 the air contained in the cavity under the bottom of the bot- 

 tle ; then light the fire if the copper is used, taking care 

 that the bottles do not touch the bottom, or sides, which 

 will endanger their bursting; and increase the heat gradually 

 until it comes to ah6ut one hundred and sixty, or one 

 hundred and seventy degrees, by a brewing thermometer, 

 which generally requires about three quarters of an hour. 

 For want of such an instrument it may be very well ma- 

 naged by judging of the degree of heat by the finger, which 

 jaiay be known by the yyater feeling very hot, but not so as 



tm 



